Apparatus for raising sunken vessels



w. N. DAVIS 1,741,681

APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 31, 1929.

Filed May 20, 1927 mum Hum

' IN VEN TOR.

W W ATTORNEY-.-

Dec. 31, 1929; w. N. DAVIS 1,1 1,681

APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS Filed May 20, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY:

Dec. 31; 1929. w. N. DAVIS I APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS Filed May 20, 1927 3 Sheets$h6et 3 I lllllm g 'III Hall

HUI M .25 the same on the lines-"4: of Fig. 3.

Patented Dec. 31, 1929 V WALTER nnnvrs, E STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS Application filed May 20,

This invention relates to means for raising sunken or wrecked vessels, the object of the invention being to provide anapparatus simple in construction, efiicient in operation,-and of a form which will adapt it to be readily applied as a unit to existing scows, barges, or like buoyant vessels'to be operated over the sunken vessel, or to be built in as a permanent part of the scow or like vessel; and with this 10, end in View the invention consists of the improved apparatus which will bBdQSCIlbGd in detail in the specification to follow, and the novel features of which will be pointed out'in the appended claims.

Inthe accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation'of a scow equipped with apparatus embodying-the invention, and showing how the connection may be made with the sunken vessel to-raise the same.

' Fig. 2 is a top planview of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the forward portion of the apparatus and'its supporting scow.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation of Fig. 5 is a View similarto Fig. 1, showing the'use of two scows equipped with the improved apparatus, in ralsinga sunken vessel.

' Referring to the drawings: .3 The improved apparatus comprises a sup porting structure 1 which is adapted to be mounted on a buoyant vessel 2 such as a barge, scow, float, or the like, and a hoisting-tackle 3 suspended from the end of the supporting structure and adapted to be hitched to the vessel 4 to be raised, the operating cable 5 of the hoisting tackle being carried back on the scow and attached to a suitable winding drum or winch 6 for applyingthe lifting force to the hoisting tackle. a

The supporting structure in the present instance comprises two f0reand-aft extending I-beams 7 arranged side by. side and having their forward ends proj ecting a short distance beyond the end of thelscow so as to overhang the same and constituting a longitudinal beam structure, and a series of transversely exten ding I-beams 8 located beneath'and supporting the horizontal beams and in turn seated on and supported by the deck of the scow, it being 1927. Serial no. 192,853.

understood that the longitudinal beams will be firmly fastened to the transverse beams to form a unitary supporting structure, and that the transverse beams will be firmly fastened to the deck of the scow.

As shown, the transverse supporting beams are arranged at intervals lengthwise of the longitudinal beams for the main portion of. their length, and at the front where the great est stresses are received in raising the sunken vessel, a number of the transverse beams are set closely side by side as at 8 to better adapt the structure to resist such stresses.

The hoisting tackle in the present instance comprises upper and lower pulley blocks 9 and 10 each provided with a plurality of pulleys around which passes the operating cable 5 having its end attached to one of the pulley blocks as at 11. The said cable passes from the pulley blocks inwardly over and around a vertical idler pulley 12 journaled inbracket arms l projecting forwardly from the front transverse beam, whence the cable extends rearwardly for attachment to the winding drum 6, the axisof the idler pulley extending parallel to and above the axes of the pulleys of the hoisting tackle and vertically in line with said axes.

The hoisting tackle is suspended fromthe overhanging ends of the longitudinal beams in such manner that said tackle may rock relatively to the scow both longitudinally .and' transversely on horizontal axes, and this in order that the rocking motions of the scoW due to the action of the waves, and the list of the scow'due to the down-pull thereon by the weight of the vessel being raised, will not affect the position of the hoisting tackle in the direct vertical line of the lifting forces. The mounting of the hoisting tackle to obtain this object is shown best in Figs. 8 and 4 Where it will be seen that the upper pulley block is formed with a vertical extension or head 9 extending in a slot in the lower end of a suspending yoke member 14, in which it is pivoted on a horizontal fore-and-aft axis by means of a pivot stud 15 extending through the suspending member and head. At its upper end the suspending :member extends be.- tween bearing plates .16 fixed to the opposite sides of the webs of the I-beams 7 and is pivoted therein on a horizontal transverse axis by means of a horizontal pivot bolt 17 extend ing through the bearing plates, the webs of the beams and the suspending member.

From this construction and arrangement of the parts it will be understood that the hoisting tackle may rock relatively to the scow on a fore-and-aft horizontal axis constituted by the pivot stud '15, and on a transverse horizontal axis constituted by the pivot bolt 17, whereby, as before explained, the various angular positions assumed by the scow in the water will not interfere with the direct application of the lifting forces to the submerged vessel in a vertical line.

In the use of the apparatus, the scow is brought to a position over the vessel to be raised and the cable is paid out so as to lower the lower pulley block to a position adjacent the sunken vessel, and the said block is htiched by divers to the vessel, either directly to some part of the same, or, as shown in Fig. 1, a bridle or loop of cable 18 may be passed around the hull of the vessel and attached at its ends to the pulley block. The cable being now wound on the winding drum, a lifting force will be exerted on the sunken vessel in a direct vertical line from the point of suspension of the hoisting tackle on the scow to the point of attachment of the same to the vessel. Due to the resistance ofiered to the rise of the vessel, the end of the scow will be depressed more or less according to the buoyancy of the same in relation to the weight to be raised, and in such listing motion of the scow it will rock relatively to the hoisting tackle on the axis of the transverse pivot bolt; and'in the rocking motion of the scow in other directions from the effect of waves, tides, currents, or other conditions, it will rock relatively to the hoisting tackle either on the axis 15 or the axis 16 according to the direction of the rocking motion.

A number of scows or floats each equipped with the improved apparatus may be employed where the weight to be raised is greater than can be handled by one apparatus. In such cases the scows would be positioned on either side of the sunken vessel and a cable passed beneath the same and attachedat its ends to the lower sheave blocks of the respective hoisting tackles; or the several hoisting tackles may be otherwise hitched to the vessel, for instance in the manner hereinbefore described.

The apparatus above describel is of simple and sturdy construction and may be operated with efficiency and dispatch under conditions which will enable the lifting forces to be applied to the sunken vessel under the most favorable conditions for the exertion of the greatest lifting power, the construction being such that the scow may swing around to all positions, and may assume various angular positions in the water due to the action of waves, etc., without interfering with the direct application of the lifting forces in a vertical line, and without imposing sudden stresses or jerks.

The longitudinal and transverse beams arranged and connected as described, constitute a unitary supporting structure for the hoisting tackle, and may be readily applied to existmg scows, floats, barges, and similar buoyant vessels, or it may be incorporated as a permanent part of the vessel in the construction of the same.

In the foregoing description and accompanying drawings 1 have set forth the invention in the particular detailed form, construc tion, and arrangement of the parts which I prefer to adopt, but it will be manifest that these details may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit of the invention; and further it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

' 1. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising, in combination, a scow or like vessel having a deck relatively close to the waterline, a horizontal beam structure secured to the deck of the scow and overhanging one end thereof, a supporting member pivotally suspended from the overhanging end of the beamstructure and close to the endof the scow, an upper pulley block provided with pulleys and suspended from said supporting member to swing in a vertical plane substantially perpendicular to that in which the supporting member swings, a lower pulley block provided with pulleys, an operating cable passing around said pulleys and extending to the deck for the application of power, and an idler pulley for guiding the cable between the upper pulley block and the deck, said idler pulley being rotatably mounted in a bracket.

which is fixed with reference to the beam structure, and being disposed between the upper pulley block and the overhanging end of the beam in the plane of one set of the end pulleys. I

2. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising, in combination, a scow or like vessel, a series of transverse beams secured to the deck thereof in close, side-by-side relation at one end of the scow, another series of transverse beams spaced from each other and from the first series of transverse beams, said second series of beams being also secured to the deck of the scow, a fore-and-aft beam structure overlying and secured to saidtransverse beams with its forward end overhanging the end of the scow, the proportions of the parts being such that said overhanging end of the fore-and-aft beam structure. is

posed close to the plane of the deck, and a hoisting tackle including a universally swivelled pulley block suspended from said overhanging end of the beam structure and adapted to be hitched to the vessel to be raised.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature hereto.

WALTER N. DAVIS. 

